Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Over the past four years, the Korean government has endeavored to advance science, technology, and education. It has expanded the budget for R&D by 1.5 and introduced the admissions officer system to the nation which enables colleges to recruit more creative and talented students rather than following standardized admission based on test scores. As a result, Korean education and technology has greatly improved in the global competitiveness rating by the Switzerland-based International Institute for Management and Development (IMD).

[Science]

Ever since the government selected growth driving forces that include the green industry, it has fostered such industries at the national level. Some of the visible outcomes include mass production of a 40-inch LED TV for the first time in the world in 2009, exporting surveillance robot systems to Algeria in 2010, and signing a contract with the United Arab Emirates to export nuclear power plants.

During the Korea Electronics Show (KES) 2010, LG Electronics introduced the world's first Nano Full LED TV. (Photo: Yonhap News)

Korea also has built a base of science and technology by reinforcing the status and features of the National Science & Technology Council (NSTC). Through the NSTC, it proposed middle-long term development strategies of science and technology and has put Korea at the fifth rank in terms of science competitiveness. The Korean government has spared no support for R&D investment in the last four years.

The R&D budget is used to promote the development of creative science and technology or accumulate new knowledge. In a knowledge-based society where science, knowledge, and information lead the national development, the importance of R&D is significant. The size of the R&D budget can be an indicator for figuring out the size of the government’s investment in science and technology.

So far, the Lee administration has invested 68 trillion won on science and technology R&D. If including private investment in R&D, the ratio of R&D to GDP has increased from 3.21% in 2010 to 3.74% in 2011, ranking third highest worldwide. The rate of increase is also the second highest following China.

This year, the government assigned 16.0244 trillion won to the R&D budget, anincrease of 7.6% from the previous year’s budget despite uneasy financial conditions. This is evidence of the strong will of the government to promote Korea’s science and technology, the driving force for the growth of the nation. Thanks to investments in R&D, Korea maintains its rank as fifth for the number of international patents.

In 2011, Korea ranked 22nd in the IMD’s global competitiveness rating, the highest score in Korean history. Although its competitiveness in science has slightly dropped, competitiveness in technology increased four rankings to 14th.

The government will continue its support of major national assignments including green technology this year. In order for its original plan for science and technology to be completed without barriers, the government is going to gain a toehold for the next administration.

[Education]

From the beginning, the Lee administration has introduced educational reforms with the goal ”to reduce private educational expense and increase the competitiveness of public education.” It has eased the burden of the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) and focused on public education by introducing the admissions officer system to colleges in Korea and supporting TV lectures from the Educational Broadcasting System (EBS).

First, the government has appointed 33 Meister high schools which provide industry-oriented vocational training. The curriculum at these schools is directly connected to industry and the development of professional and occupational education. Since the launch of the first Meister high school in 2010, over 80% of the prospective graduates of 2013 have been promised jobs.

In order for high school graduates to continue their education during their careers, a post-education infrastructure has also been formed. The government has revised some regulations and systems to improve the professionalism of teachers and attracted overseas education institutes to Korea.

It has continuously conducted various polices to realize educational welfare; extra pay for raising children has increased since 2009 and support for preschool education expenses will be available to more parents.

As a result, the ranking of Korean education in the IMD global competitiveness rating jumped to 29th in 2011. Considering the fact that Korea had maintained a 30-something rank for the last few years, this is an impressive result for the nation.

The Nuri Program will be established to provide education for five-year-olds (Photo: Gonggam Korea)

In March this year, the Nuri Program will be established to provide education for five-year-olds. Regardless of the incomes of their parents, the educational expense for kindergarteners will be paid by the government. Expenses for day care centers for kids under 24 months will also be supported by the government. Benefits for raising children will also be expanded up to the bottom 70 percent to offer qualified childcare services.

Currently, K-pop programs are filled with new faces such as Sunny Hill, or B.A.P., but that is about to change. Many groups are returning to the stage here in the coming weeks after wrapping up their schedule abroad or dedicating their time to new albums.

Boy band Big Bang will climb out of its incident-filled slump with the mini album “Blue” on Feb. 29. The song “Blue” was the first of the seven-track album to be released Wednesday. The list of the entire album is released, but YG Entertainment, the groupagency, labeled every song of the album except for the intro as “title track.”

“Usually only one song is designated to represent an album. This time, we wanted to give equal weight to all the songs that the band worked very hard for,” said an official at YG. How this approach will affect the five-member band’s schedule is undecided. “We are still figuring out how to execute this plan. The goal is to give the fans as much opportunities as possible to fully enjoy all songs.”

Last year was a tough one for the K-pop group. In November, G-Dragon, the leader, had an indictment suspended by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office after being questioned on charges of smoking marijuana.

Another member, Dae-sung, was investigated after he ran over a 30-year-old man lying on the road before crashing into a parked taxi on Yanghwa Bridge on May 31. The prosecution cleared Dae-sung of charges for causing the death due to a lack of evidence.

Following the release of the mini album, the group will embark on a world tour “Big Bang Alive Tour 2012.” Starting with shows in Seoul Olympic Park from March 2 to 4, Big Bang will perform in 25 cities in 15 countries. The group recently shot the music video for “Blue” and “Bad Boy” in New York.

Miss A, a four-member girl group from JYP Entertainment, released its mini-album “Touch” on Monday. It includes six songs — “Touch,” “Lips,” “Rock ’n’ Rule,” “No Mercy” and “Over U.” The title track “Touch” is a catchy song about a heart break produced by Park Jin-young, the president of the agency. Upon release, it ranked number one in various music listings in the country such as Melon, Bugs, Mnet and Olleh Music. The music video is an experimental work that uses psychedelic images as well as frequent zooming techniques that accentuates the choreography. Incorporating sets and attire from the aesthetics of Shanghai in the 1980s, the footage manages to bring out mature beauty from the four young members. The video topped a Chinese music chart Yin Yue Tai on Monday. Miss A will be performing on channel Mnet’s “M Countdown” today.

Rock-inspired K-pop group CNBLUE will be returning home in March after a successful year in Japan. Their second single in Japan “Where You Are” ranked number one on the Oricon Chart in January, as the first foreign artists since Canadian rock band Mashmakhan in 1971. On March 9, CNBLUE will perform in LA with F.T. Island, another K-pop group.

Ballad group 2AM from JYP Entertainment will break its long overdue silence at home on March 13 with a new release. This return marks their first full length album since October 2010. The single “Saint O’Clock” released in Japan in January sold over 50,000 copies. Jung Ji-woon, the youngest member of the group, is starring in the KBS 2TV sitcom “Dream High.”

Sanitary and healthcare product manufacturer Yuhan-Kimberly ran an online advertisement for diaper brand Huggies on YouTube in December. It “interpreted” the cooing and gurgling of babies uploaded by parents on the video-sharing website and the ads became popular, often shared on social networking services. “Seventy-six percent of participants were satisfied with the campaign, and 48 percent said their fondness of the brand increased,” said Kim Tae-won, a manager of a media mobile team at Google Korea. The commercial was especially effective as it enabled two-way communication between the advertiser and the consumer, unlike on TV, where the message delivery is one-directional delivery.

Advertisers are increasingly turning to mobile devices as new platforms. Due to the penetration of smart devices and ultra-fast mobile networks, data shows that it has become more influential than television.

According to a survey by Inmobi, a mobile advertisement network, Koreans spend on average 79 minutes per day using mobile devices, excluding voice calls and text messages. Meanwhile, they spend 75 minutes daily watching television.

These devices are also affecting shopping habits. When asked which media influenced their decision on purchases 52 percent picked mobile devices, while 38 percent cited TV.

They also had a positive response toward mobile advertisements. One out of five said they are more convenient and offer more useful information than conventional commercials on TV or others seen online. “Mobile devices have become an essential part of our lives. The survey shows that they have a diverse effect on purchasing or decision making,” said Inmobi Korea CEO Kim Seung-yeon.

For advertisers, mobile ads are attractive as there is no limitation on time or space, on top of being offered in diverse forms such as voice, text or video. While spam has little effect despite considerable cost, mobile ads on smartphones can provide tailored advertisements to target the specific individual.

The Korea Communications Commission estimates that the mobile advertisement market will reach 170 billion won this year and portals as well as mobile carriers are competing for their share. NHN, the operator of the country’s biggest portal Naver, picked mobile keyword advertising as one of its new search engines for this year. It plans to increase sales in mobile keyword advertising three times to 100 billion won this year. Adam, a mobile advertisement network platform by Daum, has been recording over 15 billion views each month. Among carriers, LG Uplus was the first to advance into the mobile advertisement market and SK Telecom, the largest carrier, launched T Ad, a mobile ad platform where one can insert advertisements in applications such as games and comics.

Tips for success

Yeom Dong-hoon, managing director of Google Korea, picked “mobile,” “entertainment,” and “social” as the main keywords in digital advertising trends this year.

“Conventional advertisements were simple; users watched banner advertisements on their desktops. Now, the advertisements will shift to mobile devices where consumers and the advertisers can interact through funny commercials,” he said.

Google advises that advertisements should be humorous and induce users to participate. “The boundary between advertising and entertainment is becoming blurred,” he said.

Many people are enjoying commercials through video platforms like YouTube and they are sharing and expanding the reach of interesting ones through smartphones and tablets. Mobile advertisements have become something for users to participate in and enjoy, not simply something to see.

Google expects that social activities based on direct communication between people will play a bigger role in advertising. It points out that people generally trust people they know more. Hence, advertisements become much more effective when spread among friends through media such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus.

One of the nation’s key cultural landmarks is the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in central Seoul, the nation’s first modern performing arts complex since its founding in 1978.

But it has been undergoing an identity crisis in comparison to other establishments of similar stature, such as the Seoul Arts Center or the National Theater.

In particular, the public image and brand power of the Sejong Center has suffered since the opening of the Seoul Arts Center in the 1980s, which has hosted prestigious events for Western performing arts.

Bagh In-bae, the Sejong Center’s new CEO, recently announced a series of measures to improve the venue’s content and facilities, aiming to establish it as the nation’s “Lincoln Center.”

“It is a priority to improve the competitiveness of our arts groups. One of the problems has been that our nine arts groups have yet to produce a work that has staying power.” Bagh told The Korea Times at his office.

The groups specialize in traditional and modern arts and include the Seoul Metropolitan Opera, the Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Music Orchestra and the Seoul Metropolitan Theater.

Bagh said that he will subject the performing art troupes to a bidding process to put their respective creative works onstage long-term, in order to ensure higher quality and creativity.

“We hope to see this system producing some outstanding results starting this fall,” he added.

One of the more successful companies has been the Seoul Metropolitan Opera, which has been leading a homegrown opera movement that started in the mid 2000s.

The troupe will stage its popular production “Yeonseo” or “Love Letter” from March 15 to 18. The opera features an original score by Seoul National University professor Choe Uzong and libretto in Korean to facilitate the listener’s understanding.

It traces the tragic, unconsummated romance between two lovers that reoccurs over three different periods in Korean history: a star-crossed manservant and “gisaeng” (female entertainer) during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) are reunited in the next life, only to be separated by tumultuous events of the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945) and finally meeting again as fashion designers in present-day Seoul. Since its debut in 2010, it has become a representative work of the Sejong Center.Aside from elevating the stature of the arts troupes, Bagh hopes to see the center fulfill its initial purpose as a cultural hub for Seoulites.

“I have been reflecting on whether the center has truly served this purpose,” Bagh said. “After the construction of other theaters, the Sejong Center’s status has diminished over the years.”

For a cultural hub, the 58-year-old is envisioning a place where people can visit not just for concerts and exhibitions, but also as somewhere that plays an active part in the development of their cultural life.

Serving citizens

As the Sejong Center is partly funded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Bagh underlined that the center has a duty to serve the people.

This is why the former theater producer has placed heavy emphasis on the center’s educational facilities, in particular with youths in mind.

“We will expand educational opportunities for children and teenagers. If they are subject to orchestral music through concerts, for example, it will serve as a good introduction to classical music and this will result in the expansion of the audience for the genre.”As a cultural hub, the center will also work closely with cultural centers in every district of Seoul to render performing arts more accessible.

Not much is known about Bagh, who brings with him extensive experience in theater as a producer and artistic director. A former aide of Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, the 58-year-old started his three-year term in late January.

During a press conference at the center last month, he stressed that he will focus on delivering the arts to the people through educational activities, particularly through the improvement of the Sejong Arts Academy. The academy was established in June 2007 to help people develop an understanding and appreciation of culture.

“During the latter half of the year, we will finish the construction of a new wing for the academy and incorporate lecture programs that can speak to audiences of all ages,” he said.

His core plans also include diversifying the functions of the center, including providing access to the audio-visual center for visitors. The new wing will house more rehearsal spaces and working studios for the nine ensembles affiliated with the center.His appointment came as a surprise to many, since the top job at the nation’s largest cultural center has been mainly filled by experts with extensive government or management experience.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

But these days it sounds like an outdated catchphrase, as good-looking athletes are enjoying rock-star status, dominating local sports.

Their emergence, combining skills and looks, is attracting more fans resulting in raising the profile of the sports they play ― especially less-followed ones.

However, critics say that wild excitement about good-looking athletes can misleadingly evaluate players on the basis of their physical traits and the tail can wag the dog in terms of enjoying sports.

Until mid-2006, Koreans appeared to only enjoy watching three major sports, four if generously adding volleyball to baseball, football and basketball.

But since Kim Yu-na, with a pretty face and model-like appearance along with her top skating skills, showed up on people’s radar in 2006, she has fronted sellout ice dancing shows, which had been unfamiliar in Korea. In addition, young figure skaters, so-called “Yu-na kids,” who grew up watching Kim rise to become Olympic and world champion, have set their sights on the next Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, in 2014 and in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, in 2018.

“Before Kim’s advent, I never knew about figure skating but now I am familiar with the judging system as well as with its terms like triple axel or spiral,” said Choi Eun-young, a regular visitor to Kim’s annual ice show.

Swimming has also benefitted from the emergence of manly and cute-looking Park Tae-hwan, who triumphed at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 along with claiming world titles in 2007 and 2011.

Ahead of his arrival, people hardly attended swimming events but he has attracted sellout crowds, even in local competitions, rising as one of the biggest draws among domestic athletes.

The same is true for baby-faced badminton star Lee Yong-dae, who also won a gold medal in Beijing.

Currently, professional sports clubs are also trying to jump on the bandwagon, promoting players who are physically appealing.

Ahead of this season, the Korean Volleyball Federation (KOVO) held a free-hug ceremony in August in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, to boost interest in the sport and each team picked popular players for the event.

However, the trend of excessively concentrating on external features is causing conflict because the spotlight goes to those who have a physical advantage regardless of ability.

In a recent interview, Kim Ga-young, the world No. 1 in the Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA) rankings, complained that she was categorized with Cha Yu-ram as a rival. Cha, called a “billiards beauty” in Korea, has basked in the spotlight on the back of her physical traits rather than her pool skills.

Kim, four years Cha’s senior, said in the interview that people have mistaken Cha for the world No. 1.

Recently, the Hyundai Green Fox topped the search list on local portal sites but it was not for the performance of the women’s volleyball club but for the team’s attractive English interpreter working for its imported player.

She was accidently caught on camera and instantly dubbed as a goddess of the volleyball court. Since then, photos of her have been plastered on portal sites and TV cameras often focus on her.

“She was embarrassed by the abrupt and excessive interest,” said a club official.

The interpreter also said in an interview that she feels sorry for taking the attention instead of her team.

However, appealing appearances do not always end up working for athletes.

Son Yeon-jae, a rhythmic gymnast, has risen as a new pin-up girl on the back of her her cute look. In addition, the 17-year-old has shot several commercials in Korea, becoming one of the most sought-after athletes of late.

But despite her popularity, there are a large number of anti-Son fans claiming she should be evaluated by her achievements, not her appearance.

“As Son is a bronze medalist at the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010 and has punched her ticket to the London Olympics, she is definitely a prospect in Korean rhythmic gymnastics,” said a sports fan, who declined to be identified.

“But I do not agree that she is a top-echelon athlete like Kim Yu-na or Park Tae-hwan, so Son had better earn the respect she is currently enjoying based on her accomplishments.”

That’s what happens when a family makes a trip to the newly opened amusement park for toddlers and preschoolers.

To the Ahn siblings and other children, Pororo, a cartoon penguin, is their ultimate hero as he’s nicknamed “Potongryong,” meaning “Pororo the president.” He is also called “Poneunim,” or “Pororo the god.”

Considering Pororo’s dominance in children’s lives, parents have become concerned and even demanding. Producers have received many requests, ranging from what the character should eat and how to play in episodes to what he can do for society.

Last July, an anxious dad posted a petition online raising an objection that Pororo and his friends eat too much cake and cookies. Claiming that it had a bad influence over his son who’s been asking for specific kinds of bread that Pororo eats, the dad suggested the cartoon show the penguin eating healthy Korean food such as rice, kimchi and stew. Within three months, nearly 4,500 of other parents, possibly with similar worries, signed the plea.

“Since 2011, we received a lot of feedback and attention, more than we would ever expected and we’ve been keeping social responsibility in mind when making new episodes,” said chief executive of Iconix Entertainment Choi Jong-il, in an interview with Business Focus.

Besides the recommendation on diet, some people suggested problem-solving story plots such as Pororo getting lost in the streets or encountering bullies, Choi said. Others have called for the character to become the mascot of the 2018 Winter Olympics to be held in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province.

“As much as we would like to answer requests of Korean fans by reflecting more familiar Korean culture, we also have to make sure foreign viewers don’t feel alienated.” Choi added that the producers are preparing a special episode that features Korean dining.

What is it about Pororo?

It’s not just the cute look of the 3-D character — a blue and white, petite penguin sporting an aviator helmet and goggles — that appeals to children.

Compared to Choi’s previous animation creations including Michel, Chiro and friends, and Taegeuk Adventure, among others, which mostly targeted children in elementary school age, Pororo lowered the range to 2 to 6. The hard-core fan base goes even younger, under 2 to up to 4, Choi said.

“It was a strategic decision to target that young age group because I learned that was the weak spot of Japanese animation markets,” Choi said.

Pororo is an adventurous 5-year-old penguin, who dreams of flying, and lives on a snowy island with six other animal friends — Poby the polar bear, Eddy the red fox, Loopy the beaver, Crong the baby dinosaur, Petty the penguin and Harry the bird — all in same age range as Pororo except for Crong, who is 1.

Choi explained he carefully chose a “neutral” area for the cartoon’s background, so that children around the world can use their own imagination.

In fact, every detailed characteristic and move of Pororo and playmates were carefully designed and choreographed by Choi with a determination to make him one of world’s most beloved animation characters. His role models included Mickey Mouse, the Walt Disney icon who turned 84 this year, and the Japan’s most adored character, Hello Kitty, who has been cherished for nearly 40 years.

“We had three criteria when creating Pororo and the other characters: they should have a global appeal, a simple design for merchandising purposes and there should be no cultural reference in the stories,” Choi said.

The creators cautiously picked the colors — blue, pink and white — that are familiar to children and also ones that represent both genders. They consciously removed a pig from the character list, because it is a taboo in Islamic culture.

When making episodes, producers paid attention to details that could be biased to certain cultural codes or give a historical reference that is sensitive to viewers in certain parts of the world. For example, they make sure Pororo and friends wave hands instead of bow or even nod to each other. And there was an episode, which featured a space shuttle that resembled Columbia, a NASA spacecraft, which exploded in 2003 killing all seven astronauts onboard. It was removed from airing in the U.S.

Another success factor was that the cartoon is not about learning ABCs, usually what Korean moms expect their babies to do in advance to prepare for the highly competitive education system. Rather, Pororo plays with his friends in every episode, which is what 1- or 2-year-olds do in real life.

“The successful animation characters often have been super heroes, or princes and princesses, but Pororo is far from those models: he’s not perfect, he gets into trouble, but kids easily relate to him by watching him solve problems in his own way and having fun with his friends,” Choi said.

“When I saw my daughter glued to the TV watching Pororo, I knew I did it right this time,” said Choi, whose son and daughter, now 14 and 11, both grew up with Pororo.

Home run after misses

Throughout his 17-year career in animation with many missed shots, the 48-year-old Choi realized that in order to succeed in global markets, he first had to win over Japanese animation markets, Asia’s biggest with an estimated size of 229 billion yen or about $2.6 billion last year, according to an Anime News Network’s report. It used to be about 10 times larger than Korean markets, said Choi who started his own animation company in 2001, but the gap has been closed to six- to seven-fold now.

After careful market research of Japanese Anime, Choi aimed for preschool children and hit a home run.

Pororo has been sold to 120 countries with its market size reaching 520 billion won or about $460 million. It secured 1,600 merchandise items garnering 12 billion won a year from royalties. Almost any kid’s product has Pororo stamps on them ranging from diapers and chopsticks to cellphones and laptops.

“It will be a lie if a family with kids don’t have a Pororo product in their house,” said Kim Jung-hee, 32, a housewife with a 6-year-old daughter.

The Ahn family at the amusement park agreed that their house is filled with Pororo items from toys and books to kitchen apparel to bedroom decor, Yoo said.

“We started to stack Pororo stuff ever since Hyun-sung was 1 year old, now Ye-eun is taking them over.”

And the success with the business followed with media close-ups and frenzies, Choi said. Last July, Radio Free Asia reported that the U.S. would ban Pororo based on the trade restrictions due to it being animated in North Korea. Soon local media picked up on the story, saying Pororo was not welcome in America.

“Because of all the noise and speculation from the Korean media on the possible U.S. ban on Pororo, before we even had an investigation, we got a call from the American government, asking what is Pororo?” Choi said with a chuckle. “Obviously (the U.S. State Department) was not aware of Pororo until then, and it later clarified that it had nothing to do with its trade ban.”

From late 2002 to early 2005, a North Korean firm called Samcheonri took part of subcontracting jobs for Iconix working on the animation including modeling, texturing and rendering. At that time, the U.S. had trade sanctions against North Korea, thus anything made in the North had to get approved by the State Department. Because the cartoon was not part of North Korean exports, it was never on the ban list.

Around the same time, another rumor went viral about Iconix rejecting Walt Disney’s offer to buy Pororo for 1 trillion won. Soon Disney headquarters denied making the bid. Choi said it was an unofficial proposal from Disney Asia to one of producers of the show. Choi made a statement that he has no intention of selling.

Going global

The number one mission for Choi in maturing the Pororo brand is to focus on marketing.

“The reason behind Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty lasting for decades is marketers constantly renewing the characters so they don’t become old and boring,” Choi said.

Within the next five years, Iconix expects sales from the international markets of Pororo to take up half of its entire revenue.

That’s why Choi is pushing hard to expand its Asian fan base including in China, Vietnam and Thailand. Iconix will open its first international Pororo-themed amusement park in Beijing early this year. It has three Pororo parks in Korea and plans to add seven more by the end of the year.

●Age: 87 (first appeared in the London Evening News in 1925)●Walt Disney owns copyright until 2026●Royalties: 6 trillion won a year, or $5.3 billion●Winnie the Pooh was originally a character from A.A. Milne’s books, “Winniethe-Pooh” (1926) and “The House at Pooh Corner” (1928).●Disney created the animation based on the characters from the books and franchised the characters.●Winnie the Pooh was named the world’s ambassador of friendship by the United Nations in 1997.●Other characters: Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga and Roo, Owl, Rabbit and Christopher Robin

Hello Kitty

●Age: 38 (made her debut in 1974)●Sanrio owns copyright.●Royalties: 1.6 trillion won a year, or $1.4 billion●The merchandise ranges from stationery and food to computers and aircraft. Sanrio does not allow licenses for cigarettes or alcohol.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

This time next year, comic book fans and webcomic readers across Europe will have the opportunity to expand their hobby to include the unique creations of Korea’s premier comic illustrators and artists.

The Korean comic booth at the 39th Angoulême International Comics Festival in France (photo courtesy of the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency)

A team of representatives from Korea’s comics industry attended the 39th Angoulême International Comics Festival (Festival international de Bande Dessinée) in France from January 26 to 29 to introduce recent works and promote Korean comics to European publishers.

For the attendees from Korea, the highlight of the festival was the announcement that Korean comics will be featured in a special exhibit at next year’s event. In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Angoulême International Comics Festival, the special exhibit will present the history of Korean comic books with over 100 works, including older comic books and more recent graphic novels and webtoons.

Visitors to Korean Culture Night at the 39th Angoulême International Comics Festival in France (photo courtesy of the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency)

The announcement came on January 29, at the Korean Culture Night that was held as part of this year’s festival. The representatives, 30 in total, including officials from the Korean Culture Ministry as well as the mayor of Bucheon and the Director of the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency, had been in talks with festival organizers throughout the event.

Korean comics are presented at Korean Culture Night, held as part of the 39th Angoulême International Comics Festival in France (photo courtesy of the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency).

This year’s festival displayed about 40 works by renowned Korean comic artists, including Kang Full, Joo Ho-min, and Yun Tae-ho, whose Moss was the basis for the 2010 hit film of the same name. Amid ongoing discussions with local companies on exporting Korean comics, several artists secured individual publishing deals as well.

The Angoulême International Comics Festival is Europe’s largest comics festival and has famously taken place every January since 1974. Today, the festival plays a key role in introducing works by new writers and artists and promoting international comic sales.

Recent studies suggest that when it comes to Korean food -- or Hansik -- consumers have clear preferences. For the past three years, the Rural Development Administration (RDA) has been surveying foreigners to find out which Korean foods are most popular and why. Overall, survey participants favored dishes with distinct seasonings: bulgogi with its sweet and spicy flavors, salads tossed with sour and tangy soy sauce and vinegar dressing, and spicy roast chicken seasoned with chili peppers.

In partnership with Ehwa Womans University, Seoul Women’s University, and Kyung Hee University, the RDA surveyed foreigners from France, Japan, China, and the U.S. from 2009 to 2011 in order to analyze trends in the globalization of Korean food. Instead of being asked to pick their favorite dish from a variety of dishes, participants were asked to choose their favorite recipe for the same dish from a variety of recipes that use varying proportions of seasoning and cooking methods.

Menu items were selected based on the versatility of their recipes -- seasoned dishes that taste different with different amounts of condiments, vegetable dishes that acquire different textures depending on cooking duration, and dishes like dakbokkeum (seasoned roast chicken) and jeon (fried vegetable pancakes) which can be reinvented by adding unique ingredients.

According to the survey results, American consumers tended to favor a sweeter and more savory bulgogi, seasoned with a sauce that uses 30% more salt and sugar than typical recipes. They also preferred their salads tangier with more vinegar and soy sauce.

The appeal of bibimbap varied with the type of ingredients, the texture of the vegetables, and also how long the ingredients had been boiled. The French, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean participants all preferred their bean sprouts fully boiled and their pumpkin and carrot slices only slightly blanched. The group was divided, however, when it came to spinach. While French and Chinese consumers tended to like fully cooked spinach, Japanese and Korean consumers preferred less-cooked versions.

Dakbokkeum, which is usually seasoned with a soy sauce base, was spiced up with red chili paste and dried chili peppers for the survey. Participants from all countries but Japan seemed to welcome the added heat.

Survey organizers used varying ratios of flour, potato starch, and buckwheat flour to make fried vegetable pancakes. Chinese participants tended to prefer the mixture containing 50% flour and 50% potato starch, while the rest of the participants were most satisfied with the dish made with only flour.

Different versions of the same food were presented (photo courtesy of RDA).

The results on bulgogi seasoning were published in the Journal of Food Science, the international publication of the Institute of Food Technologists, in an article entitled “Sensory Characteristics and Cross-cultural Consumer Acceptability of Bulgogi.”

“Although a survey conducted in a few select cities cannot be said to represent the tastes of consumers across the globe, the results of our study, which included a sensory test, nonetheless provide a statistically reliable basis for exploring the appeal of Korean food among non-Koreans,” said Lee Jin-yeong, a researcher at the RDA.

see original source:http://korea.net/NewsFocus/Culture/view?articleId=98779

Friday, February 17, 2012

It's hard to believe, but foreigners were actually traveling and working here in the backward Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).

A recent book chronicles the experiences and views of foreigners on Joseon and its people from the beginning of the kingdom until its demise due to Japanese’s occupation.

The Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies (KIKS) has released a publication on the history of the Joseon Kingdom, this time centering on foreigners' experience in the country. The book also has rare pictures of daily life taken by them, as well as postcards and maps from the time.

"Foreigners' Journeys in Joseon," compiled by the KIKS, contains essays from various researchers of one of the humanities institutes at Seoul National University. The institute is named after a royal library called “Gyujanggak,” established in 1776 by King Jeongjo at Changdeok Palace. The book is an outcome of the institute’s “Humanities Korea” project, which aims at producing easy literature on Joseon Kingdom life and culture.

“The focus of this book is Joseon’s relationship with people from the outside world,” KIKS researcher Lee Sue-jin writes in the introduction. “After 1884, Joseon started to open its doors and people with various jobs entered the kingdom. Since then, the people of Joseon started to encounter diplomats, clergymen, journalists, entrepreneurs, doctors, military men, scholars, photographers and merchants from outside the country.”

The book is a rare documentation of detailed responses to life and travel in Korea by foreigners from all walks of life and various countries.

Some remarks are generous, but some can be scathing.

Jack London (1876-1916), an adventurer-writer who chronicled Asian wars, spent four months here around the time the Joseon Kingdom was losing its sovereignty to Japan and expressed his disdain in articles, books and essays about the Korean people.

He described the people of Joseon as “weak and lazy" and "overly curious," as he was constantly being stared at on the streets. One can imagine that the presence of a Westerner must have been quite scandalous during those times.

Before the 17th century, most foreigners here were from Japan and China. Chinese officials were frequent visitors to Joseon.

After Japan took over, the foreign presence grew as many scholars and writers entered Korea for the purpose of researching Japan’s occupation.

One of the important roles of "Foreigners' Journeys in Joseon" is that it introduces past significant publications by foreigners.

One of the most comprehensive of such books is by Italian naval officer Carlo Rossetti, who wrote “Corea Coreani” at the beginning of the 1900s written in Italian. It has been translated only into French : "La Coree et les Coreens" (2002). The 477-page book covers all aspects of Joseon life, history, economics, court affairs, fashion and geography, and Japanese’s influence on the kingdom with photographs.

It is interesting that one of the most comprehensive researches on the Joseon Kingdom’s cultural legacy was produced by a Japanese architect.

Sekino Tadashi (1868-1935), an architect trained at the Tokyo Imperial University, put together a 15-book series on Joseon’s culture as a result of 30 years travel and research. From 1902-1934, the architect traveled throughout the country and took numerous photographs. His books contain more than 6,000 photographs of Korea during this time.

"Foreigners' Journeys in Joseon" is an outcome of the institute’s “Humanities Korea” project, which aims at producing easy literature on the kingdom’s life and culture.

The book is, in general, an interesting read particularly for those interested in Korea’s history. It would have been more useful if the book carried copies of letters or articles that foreigners wrote.

The coming weeks are filled with chances to see musicians from overseas. Spanning from alternative rock to new age piano music, the line up of concerts will delight many local fans.

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart (TPOBPAH), rising stars in the indie pop scene will be heating things up at V-Hall in Hongdae, Seoul on Feb. 21. With Kip Berman on lead vocals and guitar, the four-piece band from New York will offer a melodic indie sound representative of the genre.

Their self-titled debut album from 2009 received wide acclaim from various media such as the New York Times, Pitchfork and NME.

For those who like British bands such as The Stone Roses, The Cure, and The Smiths, TPOBPAH will offer the unadulterated sound.

On their first visit to Korea, they will be performing tracks from their newest album “Belong” which will be released in Korea this month.

Tickets are available for 69,000 won online (http://ticket.interpark.co.kr) or 75,000 won at the door.

A hundred special packages that include a ticket for the show as well as a c.d. copy of “Belong” are also available online at www.hyangmusic.com.

Laura Fygi, a Dutch jazz vocalist with an unforgettable voice, will return to Korea to perform at the Gangdong Arts Center on Feb 29.

Fygi will be performing her hit renditions of “Dream a Little Dream,” and “Let There Be Love” as well as songs from her most recent album “The Best Is Yet To Come.”

Also invited to be part of the concert are 17 members from local group Jazz Park Big Band. Tickets are available from 20,000 won.

For more information call (02) 440-0500 or visit www.gangdong arts.or.kr.

For those looking for a classical experience, new age pianist Yuichi Watanabe from Japan is coming to Seoul Arts Center on Feb. 29.

He will be celebrating the 10-year anniversary of his debut at the IBK Chamber Hall. Watanabe started playing at age of four and trained in orchestration and composition at Tokyo’s Kunitachi College of Music under renowned composer, conductor and pianist Pierre Porte.

He released his first album “Piano by Sea” in 2001 which made the Oricon Chart in Japan. Ever since then, his tracks, which incorporate his classical training with a delicate sensibility, have been expanding his fan base on soundtracks for TV dramas and movies. Tracks from his last album “Piano Hommage” were used as the theme music for Japanese TV drama “Life.”

He also participated in making “The Name of Korea,” an album by the Korean government in which Watanabe recorded a rendition of the traditional Korean folk song “Arirang.” Korean female soloist Lee An will join him onstage to lend her talented vocals. Tickets are available for 60,000 won or 80,000 won. For more information call (02) 702-7445

Another new age pianist Brian Crain will be performing at Gangdong Arts Center on March 28. He was introduced to Korean fans through his album “Moonlight” in 2000. Many local fans are familiar with works like “Butterfly Waltz,” “Northern Lights,” and “A Walk in the Forest” that have been on soundtracks for various TV dramas and advertisements.

Crain will be performing those as well as songs from his latest album “Piano and Light.” Joining him will be cellist and bassist David James Hunter with video art on nature shown as a backdrop.

Tickets are available from 20,000 won. For more information call (02) 440-0500 or visit www.gangdong arts.or.kr.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Paris topped a list of best student cities by Quacquarelli Symonds, the British global university ranking agency, on Tuesday. Seoul came 23rd out of 98.

The Best Student Cities Ranking 2012 is the first of its kind. When choosing a university, students take into account factors such as the quality of living, consumer prices and job environment as well as the university itself, it said.

It assessed 98 cities which satisfied two criteria -- a population of over 250,000 being home to at least two institutions among the top 700 universities in the QS World University Rankings.

It considered five categories: rankings (a collective performance of a city's universities in the QS World University Rankings); student mix (number of students and proportion of foreign students); quality of living (based on the Mercer Quality of Living 2011); employer activity (measurement of domestic and international employer popularity); and affordability (measurement of tuition fees, retail prices and living costs).

Seoul ranked higher than Beijing (28th) or Shanghai (39th), mainly because 10 universities here are listed in the QS World University Rankings 2011. Singapore (12th) has two top universities while Hong Kong (19th) has six.

Seoul received a high 82 points out of 100 in the category of employer activity because many big conglomerates have their headquarters here, but it scored as poorly with 50 points as Beijing and Taipei in terms of quality of living.

European cities ranked high, with London second, Vienna fifth and Zurich seventh. Paris scored 96 points for employer activity, where London scored 89 points. London also has 12 highly ranked universities and colleges, including Imperial College.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

As the years go by, even the hottest teen idols often disappear into oblivion and make room for the younger generation to bask in the limelight. But one group in Korea has managed to stay relevant and even wildly popular ― 14 years after their debut.

Shinhwa, the longest-running boy band in the country, sold out its two-night concert series “THE RETURN” 40 minutes after tickets went on sale at 8 p.m. Monday, the group’s management announced the morning after.

The performances are scheduled for March 24 and 25 at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena at the Olympic Park, Bangi-dong, at the southeastern edge of Seoul.

“We are grateful to our fans. Thanks to them, we can ensure Shinhwa’s comeback after four years will be celebrated in style,” said Eric Mun, leader of the band in a statement. “We are working on a great performance for the fans who have stuck with us for so long.”

As a concert venue, the arena is the largest in the country, with a typical capacity of around 15,000. While the organizers led by CJ E&M opted for less at 10,000 tickets per night, selling out in such a short period is still no mean feat ― especially with the overabundance of pop concerts in recent months.

Arguably the most influential and popular boy band at the turn of the millennium, Shinhwa can continue to bank on future success, as the key demographic for their concerts are still in their 20s. According to statistics from Interpark, the sole distributor for the two-night affair, 73.6 percent of all ticket buyers were aged 20 to 29, with those in their 30s trailing far behind at 12.2 percent. The 40-somethings bought 10.2 percent of the tickets, while the rest, 4.1 percent, were snapped up by teenagers.

Member of Shinhwa

Women far outnumbered men at roughly nine to one.

Steeply priced at 66,000 to 143,000 won, “THE RETURN” tickets are already being illegally traded online, fetching even higher prices. CJ E&M and Shinhwa Company, which oversee the six members’ activities, said they are investigating this practice. More tickets may become available if those conducting unauthorized resales are caught and forced to return them.

Since 2003, Mun, Lee Min-woo, Kim Dong-wan, Shin Hye-sung, Jun Jin and Andy Lee, have pursued solo careers ranging from theater to film and television on top of music. Mired in a legal battle with their original management agency and industry stalwart SM Entertainment over trademark rights of the group’s name, Shinwha had no choice but to explore other options at the time.

The court ruled in the group’s favor the following year, and the members signed with Good Entertainment. In 2007, the members started their own management firms to shape their own paths with mixed success. Their chart performances as solo acts have yet to match those recorded as the original ensemble.

The six members perform together periodically, with organization and finances overseen by Shinhwa Company. Mun and Lee Min-woo are co-chairmen.

The group has undergone a forced and elongated hiatus, as members were required to do their national service. Last time they performed with the entire line-up was four years ago, for a 10-year anniversary concert. The end of March was chosen for this year, in order to see Lee Min-woo’s discharged from the Army. He is the last of the six to fulfill his military obligation.

Their 10th as-yet-untitled album was supposed to be pushed at the same time, but the release date has not been fixed.

“The members are working on an album project, but no date has been set,” said a spokeswoman of Mun’s agency Top Class Entertainment. “Details are still to be ironed out.”

Shinhwa made their debut in 1998 and counts dozens of hits, including “T.O.P. (Twinkling of Paradise),” “Only One,” “Perfect Man,” “Brand News,” “Once in a Lifetime.”

They are often cited as one of the pioneers of the Korean wave, or hallyu, with a wide fan base across North and Southeast Asia and have recorded sales in the millions.

Monday, February 13, 2012

The gold medal, award certificate and laurel wreath earned by marathoner Sohn Kee-chung at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin will be designated as prized cultural assets.

The Cultural Heritage Administration said on Thursday that it will designate as cultural assets athletic relics that have significant value in the country's modern sporting history.

The gold medal and laurel wreath won by marathoner Sohn Kee-chung at the 1936 Olympics in BerlinAlong with Sohn's Olympic medal and laurel wreath, two other items used during the London Olympics in 1948 -- the year the Republic of Korea was established -- are being included.

Also on the list are the winning trophy that Korea collected at the 1st Asian Cup soccer tournament in Hong Kong in 1956, and the travel permit and uniforms used by Korean representative Lee Won-soon when he attended the 40th International Olympic Committee General Assembly in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1947.

Sohn is the first Korean to win an Olympic gold medal after setting a new world record in the marathon during Japan's colonial rule of the country. The designation will undergo a 30-day notice period and review by the CHA's committee.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Judging from the tales associated with Joseon Korea’s 13th king, Myeongjong (1534-1567), romantic relationships were often filled with tribulations and death.

Kim Su-dong was a gifted man. He was handsome and enjoyed a very high position in Myeongjong’s court and often held up as a standard of success. It was a common saying amongst Koreans at that time that a father would be blessed to have a son like him. But despite his success Kim had shortcomings. First, he was still unmarried and, second, his mother dominated him.

Solving the first problem was relatively easy. A jungmae (marriage broker) was consulted and she chose a young girl named Hae-su. As was the custom of that time, Kim never really got the opportunity to see his bride’s face until after they were married. Hae-su must have felt a great deal of trepidation and fear as her very handsome husband removed the thick white makeup covering her face to reveal pockmarks (most likely from smallpox) “as big as thimbles” and badly sloping eyes which gave “her a most ugly expression.”

Kim was taken back by the perceived ugliness of his bride but he was a good man and accepted his fate without complaint. His mother, however, felt cheated and greatly abused Hae-su. She took great pains to ensure that no one could see her daughter-in-law by locking her up in a small dark room and making her work only at night and away from the prying eyes of neighbors and their wagging tongues.

Kim apparently liked his wife and urged his mother to show restraint especially considering Hae-su fulfilled her most important duty as a wife _ she bore a son. But Kim’s mother would not relent and one day, while he was away, she cast Hae-su and her child out of the house to fend for themselves on the streets. So domineering was his mother that Kim made no effort to retrieve them.

Hae-su had endured so much but this last insult was too much. So she starved herself to death but before she died she sent a message to her husband beseeching him to bury her next to a stream so that the fresh running water would cool her “fevered spirit.”

But Kim refused and instead buried her on a hillside. Soon afterwards his dreams became plagued by the spirit of Hae-su demanding to know why he had not fulfilled her dying wish. Kim, driven by fear, confessed to the king the ghost’s visits and asked what he should do. The king, whose own mother was very domineering, ordered that Hae-su’s body be buried next to a stream ― a place that is now known as the White Buddha. Hae-su’s fevered spirit was appeased.

Myeongjong had his own tale of misguided love ― in fact, he is said to have died from it. A beautiful young palace girl attracted his attention but she would not willingly reciprocate his affections. An investigation revealed that the young girl had once been in love with a local boy but her father disapproved and sent her to work as a palace girl and had the boy seized and made into a eunuch.

The king, who apparently had a mean streak, had the young eunuch assigned as the guard at his door. The young man was forced to listen to the king ravish the love of his life. Eventually the girl became pregnant.

One night, when there was confusion in the palace, the girl and eunuch ran away but they were soon captured by the king’s agents. The eunuch was executed and the king, still infatuated with the girl, spared her life but made her attend him regularly. This was the king’s undoing. While in the heat of passion, the young girl plunged a needle into the back of the king’s head, killing him instantly. She then took her own life.

Architecture is the product of the minds of some of the most creative thinkers. It has played an indispensable role in the growth of cities.

In the last 33 years since its inception, master architects from various countries have been awarded the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize. For the first time, a book introducing all of the laureates and their works has been published, entitled “Architect: the Pritzker Prize Laureates in Their Own Words.” The Korean version came out last month.

It presents all 33 recipients of the prize, and captures, in pictures and their own words, the essence of their key works. Organized by architect, each chapter features approximately four to six major works that represent a range of skills, materials, and methods, as well as a variety of structures including museums, libraries, transportation hubs, hotels and places of worship.

The text, gathered from diaries, interviews, articles, speeches, and notebooks, and provided by each architect, illuminates works and enlightens on topics such as influences and inspirations, personal philosophies and aspirations and the future of architecture. The book also includes 700 stunning photographs, blueprints, sketches, and computer-aided designs representing major works.

Architecture plays various roles in our society, fulfilling the needs of the people, communities and organizations. “The role of an architect is service. You are a servant of the community. You are, in a way ‘a handyman,’” said Kevin Roche, Irish-American architect and the 1982 Pritzker laureate.

There are important messages for the future of architecture in the book as well.

“Two issues that I believe are particularly important in the future growth of cities: the role of public spaces and the quest for more ecologically responsible architecture,” 1999 Pritzker winner Norman Foster of the United Kingdom said.

Architecture also has the power to lift a city’s cultural status to new heights.

Take the Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by Frank Owen Gehry, a Canadian American 1989 Pritzker Prize winner based in Los Angeles, Calif. Gehry also designed the Guggenheim Museum, Weisman Art Museum, Dancing House in Prague, Art Gallery of Ontario, among others.

Inaugurated in 2003, the hall has played an instrumental role in promoting the resident orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In an interview with PBS, Esa-Pekka Salonen, former music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, said, “Everyone can now hear what the L.A. Phil is supposed to sound like.”

Status of local architecture

Scanning through the book, one of the questions at the forefront of a Korean reader’s mind may be why there has never been a Korean winner in the list of laureates of the Nobel Prize of architecture.

Korea is yet to produce a winner of one of the most coveted prizes in the field, while there have been four Japanese laureates. Does this say anything about the level of the nation’s architecture?

An architectural landmark serves as a symbol of a city — like the Opera House in Sydney or the Eiffel Tower in Paris. But when it comes to Seoul, one may have a hard time pinpointing the definitive masterpieces constructed in modern times in the nation’s capital. There are no Korean architects or buildings in this book, but it can provide helpful lessons for future generations.

Some have just started to gain international recognition, like Cho Min-suk, the designer of the Korean Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo. The 46-year-old has emerged as one of Asia’s foremost architects, known particularly for combining “Koreanness” and modernity. Many of Cho’s buildings are in Korea but some of his temporary structures have been seen abroad, such as the Air Forest in Denver, Colo. in 2008 and the Ring Dome in Milan and Yokohama.

Some of the Asian architectural works mentioned in the book are the Beijing National Stadium, designed for use throughout the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. It was a joint venture among architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron of Herzog & de Meuron who won the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2001.

The book is the result of an editor-architect collaboration.

Ruth Peltason is an editor and writer. She runs Bespoke Books, an editorial studio specializing in the development, editing, writing and design of books on cultural arts. Grace Ong-Yan is an architect and an architectural historian. She received her master’s degree from Yale University and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Pennsylvania.

The film chronicles one week in the Hollywood icon's life while she filmed the musical "The Prince and the Showgirl" with Laurence Olivier in England.

The story is told from the perspective of assistant producer Colin Clark, who falls in love with the charismatic but mentally-fragile Monroe. Williams exudes energy and sexuality while capturing Monroe's vulnerability.

But that might not be enough.

Rooney Mara Rooney as Lisbeth Salander, a punk computer hacker in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo." /Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

In "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," Rooney Mara delivers a compelling performance as Lisbeth Salander, a punk computer hacker who helps journalist Mikael Blomkvist search for a woman who's been missing in Sweden for 40 years.

Salander has suffered abuse from men.

Mara turns her into a dysfunctional but brilliant investigator who spares no one.

Fury drives and empowers her.

Mara earned the nomination, but Lisbeth Salander is an unsavory character and could cost Mara the award.

Glenn Close (right) portrays a woman masquerading as a man in "Albert Nobbs." /AP

Glenn Close, nominated for her performance as Albert Nobbs, could face similar challenges in the Oscar race.

Nobbs, a woman disguised as a man seeking a better life in male-dominated 19th century Ireland, is awkward and pathetic.

Many say Glenn Close offers the performance of a lifetime. But she is up against formidable opponents.

Meryl Streep, for one. She offers an intimate portrait of the aging Margaret Thatcher.

Meryl Streep as British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady." /Courtesy of The Harvey Weinstein Company

Streep gives us a frail old woman trying to keep her dignity while battling dementia and, in flashbacks, the harsh and unyielding leader of a nation.

Streep masters Thatcher's mannerisms and intonations for the role and the resemblance is uncanny. Her character carries the film.

Streep has won two Oscars -- the last one 30 years ago -- and has been nominated another 17 times.

Many feel she is long overdue for a third.

But her Oscar-worthy performance as "The Iron Lady" may not prevail because of our antipathy toward the real character she portrays.

Her strongest competition could come from Viola Davis, who plays Aibileen Clark in "The Help."

Both applicant and his/her parents must be citizens of the foreign country.Applicants cannot have Korean citizenship.Applicants should be in good health, both mentally and physically, to stay in Korea for a long period of time.Applicants must submit personal medical assessment while application submission, submit official medical assessment after notification of admission, if applicant tested positive for HIV, drugs, disease or illness, admission will be canceled before entranceShould be under 40 years of age as of September 1, 2012(born after September 1, 1972)Hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree as of August 31, 2012For Master’s program (or Integrated Master’s & Doctoral program): students who hold a Bachelor’s degree or a diploma that is equivalent to or higher than Bachelor’s degreeFor Doctoral program: students who hold a Master’s degree or a diploma that is equivalent to or higher than Master’s degree.Applicants who are enrolling or have already enrolled in the same academic program in Korea as the one they are applying for will not be admitted.Applicants who are expecting the adequate diploma should present their diploma by august 31, 2011 before entry.Every semester’s transcripts from the previously attended institutions, should have a grade point average (G.P.A.) at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or grades/marks/score of 80% or higher from the previous attended institutionIf the grade is difficult to convert to percentage, official explanatory documents from the attended university are required.Applicants who submit any of TOPIK, TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS official transcripts will receive an advantage on the first session of admission, Optional documents.Applicants who applied for Natural Science or Engineering will get an advantage if the score tied with other applicants.Applicants who obtained at least TOPIK level 5 can apply for Journalism and Communication department.Before submitting documents

Dual recommendation by more than one organization is not acceptable.Submitted documents will not be returned to the candidates.Incomplete or incorrect documents are subject to rejection by NIIED (Even after entry to Korea)In case of submitting copied documents inevitably, applicants must submit the original to the Korean Embassy (Consulate) and have the two documents collated.(Collated documents need to be submitted behind the original documents)Applicants must accurately fill out the health checklist based on truth. All successful applicants must take a medical exam in Korea(including an HIV and TBPE drug test). If the results show that the applicant is unfit to be a KGSP student, the application will be canceled.Applicants may submit the copies of published papers, if available.Applicants may submit the copies of awards, if available.Applicants who are currently studying in Korea or graduated from Korean university must submit one recommendation letter of the head of department of the relevant university.Master’s and Ph.D. combined programs are not available for KGSP.No Student is allowed to transfer school during the entire period of program once he/she is confirmed for entrance from the university.Important Notes

The student will not be considered for admission if the information on the application is incorrect or if the student fails to submit all application documents or if student is found to be in violation of regulations, and can be expelled even after the certificate of admission has been issued.After the application is submitted, the applicant cannot modify/cancel submitted documents. All submitted documents will not returned and the admission fee is non-refundable.The applicant must provide phone numbers and e-mail addresses which can be used to directly contact applicants or parents during the admissions period. (The university is NOT responsible for any consequences resulting from incorrect contact information on the application.)Confirmation of admissions will be decided by law of the graduate school. The department can refuse to receive students, if none of applicants pass the department’s criteria. (Criteria may vary by department)For more Information, contact each department office.After the confirmation of entrance, all matters are decided by KHU’s graduate school regulations.Contacts for admission counselling and submission address

Monday, February 6, 2012

Washing machines and refrigerators have joined the ranks of smart devices. This means computerization, improving efficiency and protecting the environment.

This focus is shifting to electricity, as experts tackle effective distribution from power plants to consumers.

The purpose of this smart revolution is to save costs and limit environmental impact. Cutting carbon dioxide emissions within electricity production is not just a new growth engine but also tied closely with future development.

The grid needs to incorporate renewable electricity production from a multitude of distributed sources and be capable of matching electricity supply with demand at the point of real-time usage.

``Smart grids are being found everywhere. Governments and firms are busy investing more on them. The key point is that the market is growing and Korea is taking on a bigger role,’’ said an expert on the area, Park Geun-min.

Park said smart grids are a means to modernize existing power networks, an alternative pursued by governments to address energy independence and global warming issues.

Public data says that if smart technology made the United States grid 5 percent more efficient, it would equate to eliminating the fuel and greenhouse gas emissions of 53 million cars.

In structure, the supply- and distribution-side are the utility companies including electricity, natural gas and water.

Current smart-grid activities focus on two major areas of improvement _ automating information delivery including real-time data, and standardizing networks so that all sectors can communicate with one other.

The cost-saving potential makes its business outlook bright.

By the end of 2018, the annual size of this business is expected to be $155 billion, 50 percent larger than the current yearly expenditure for all electrical transmission and distribution equipment.

Memoori Business Intelligence says this will require major restructuring for both the supply and demand side, if a truly ``smart grid’’ is to be realized.

``Our research estimates that $2 trillion will need to be invested globally by 2030. Sales of smart grid systems last year stood at just $16 billion, clearly showing the business still has a great deal of potential,’’ the research firm added.

In the space of five years, acquisitions have grown from $134 million in 2007 to $10.6 billion in 2011. Both the growth and scale indicate the supply side is gearing up to meet the requirements of the new technology.

``Investment in the market is also on the increase with venture capital companies committing some $1 billion per year in 2010 and 2011 to smart grid suppliers,’’ it said.

Korea's aims

Smart grids offer a special attraction to Korea.

It imports most of its energy resources but smart grids will give the nation an edge because they save energy and make bulk imports unnecessary.

Korea imports all of its coal, oil and gas, so paying high prices for energy can have a ``chilling effect’’ on its global competitiveness.

Korea has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with the state government in Hawaii to collaborate on smart grid-related projects.

``Hawaii has been pushing `carbon free island’ policies by activating eco-friendly projects including more supplements of solar energy and electricity cars,’’ said an official from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE).

Korea plans to invest $1.8 billion by 2015 on smart grid technologies, giving utility customers the ability to monitor price and supply as an incentive to lower energy usage during high-demand periods.

Driven by a desire for energy security needs, sustained economic growth and even reduced environmental impact, the government _ together with the country’s leading technology companies _ have now embarked on a bold new strategy to transform ways in which electricity is generated, distributed and used.

A demonstration project on Jeju Island as part of Korea’s smart grid initiative is a comprehensive program that includes a focus on a smart power grid, smart consumers and smart electricity services.

This is an initial step toward its goal of a completely integrated smart grid by 2030, according to experts.

``Moving into this arena is enabling Korea to become a major player in the worldwide smart grid technology market, joining the United States and China at the forefront,’’ said the MKE official.

The government said it is planning to invest as much as $2.4 billion on smart grid technology by 2030. Korea is aiming to cut annual power consumption by up to 10 percent using smart grids.

Seoul previously said it would cut carbon emissions by 4 percent less than 2005 levels by 2020. Electricity makes up about 40 percent of the overall emissions generated in Korea, Asia’s No. 4 energy consumer.

Jeju is the test-bed for the nation. ``Phase Two’’ consists of taking the best outcomes from the test-bed and commercializing them, expanding the smart grid into selected urban areas.

This is expected to run through 2020. This expansion stage from this year to next year will mainly focus on smart renewables and electricity services. Its goals are to provide new power services and accommodate renewable energy into the power grid.

The final phase of the plan is the completion of the national smart grid, targeted for 2030.

``But these efforts are just the first steps. Korea still has a long way to go,’’ said Kim Maan-shik, a 35-year-old working on the government-organized smart grid project.

Washing machines and refrigerators have joined the ranks of smart devices. This means computerization, improving efficiency and protecting the environment.

This focus is shifting to electricity, as experts tackle effective distribution from power plants to consumers.

The purpose of this smart revolution is to save costs and limit environmental impact. Cutting carbon dioxide emissions within electricity production is not just a new growth engine but also tied closely with future development.

The grid needs to incorporate renewable electricity production from a multitude of distributed sources and be capable of matching electricity supply with demand at the point of real-time usage.

``Smart grids are being found everywhere. Governments and firms are busy investing more on them. The key point is that the market is growing and Korea is taking on a bigger role,’’ said an expert on the area, Park Geun-min.

Park said smart grids are a means to modernize existing power networks, an alternative pursued by governments to address energy independence and global warming issues.

Public data says that if smart technology made the United States grid 5 percent more efficient, it would equate to eliminating the fuel and greenhouse gas emissions of 53 million cars.

In structure, the supply- and distribution-side are the utility companies including electricity, natural gas and water.

Current smart-grid activities focus on two major areas of improvement _ automating information delivery including real-time data, and standardizing networks so that all sectors can communicate with one other.

The cost-saving potential makes its business outlook bright.

By the end of 2018, the annual size of this business is expected to be $155 billion, 50 percent larger than the current yearly expenditure for all electrical transmission and distribution equipment.

Memoori Business Intelligence says this will require major restructuring for both the supply and demand side, if a truly ``smart grid’’ is to be realized.

``Our research estimates that $2 trillion will need to be invested globally by 2030. Sales of smart grid systems last year stood at just $16 billion, clearly showing the business still has a great deal of potential,’’ the research firm added.

In the space of five years, acquisitions have grown from $134 million in 2007 to $10.6 billion in 2011. Both the growth and scale indicate the supply side is gearing up to meet the requirements of the new technology.

``Investment in the market is also on the increase with venture capital companies committing some $1 billion per year in 2010 and 2011 to smart grid suppliers,’’ it said.

Korea's aims

Smart grids offer a special attraction to Korea.

It imports most of its energy resources but smart grids will give the nation an edge because they save energy and make bulk imports unnecessary.

Korea imports all of its coal, oil and gas, so paying high prices for energy can have a ``chilling effect’’ on its global competitiveness.

Korea has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with the state government in Hawaii to collaborate on smart grid-related projects.

``Hawaii has been pushing `carbon free island’ policies by activating eco-friendly projects including more supplements of solar energy and electricity cars,’’ said an official from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE).

Korea plans to invest $1.8 billion by 2015 on smart grid technologies, giving utility customers the ability to monitor price and supply as an incentive to lower energy usage during high-demand periods.

Driven by a desire for energy security needs, sustained economic growth and even reduced environmental impact, the government _ together with the country’s leading technology companies _ have now embarked on a bold new strategy to transform ways in which electricity is generated, distributed and used.

A demonstration project on Jeju Island as part of Korea’s smart grid initiative is a comprehensive program that includes a focus on a smart power grid, smart consumers and smart electricity services.

This is an initial step toward its goal of a completely integrated smart grid by 2030, according to experts.

``Moving into this arena is enabling Korea to become a major player in the worldwide smart grid technology market, joining the United States and China at the forefront,’’ said the MKE official.

The government said it is planning to invest as much as $2.4 billion on smart grid technology by 2030. Korea is aiming to cut annual power consumption by up to 10 percent using smart grids.

Seoul previously said it would cut carbon emissions by 4 percent less than 2005 levels by 2020. Electricity makes up about 40 percent of the overall emissions generated in Korea, Asia’s No. 4 energy consumer.

Jeju is the test-bed for the nation. ``Phase Two’’ consists of taking the best outcomes from the test-bed and commercializing them, expanding the smart grid into selected urban areas.

This is expected to run through 2020. This expansion stage from this year to next year will mainly focus on smart renewables and electricity services. Its goals are to provide new power services and accommodate renewable energy into the power grid.

The final phase of the plan is the completion of the national smart grid, targeted for 2030.

``But these efforts are just the first steps. Korea still has a long way to go,’’ said Kim Maan-shik, a 35-year-old working on the government-organized smart grid project.